With summer here and the need for a new air conditioner all the more prevalent than ever, this is a good time to discuss alternative options. Most of us are accustomed to traditional centralized models, but they’re not the only models out there, and depending upon the circumstances, you might do better exploring one of them. If your old air conditioner needs to be put out to pasture, the new one doesn’t need to be exactly like the old one.

Here in Dover, DE, we kind of get the worst of both ends on the heating and cooling spectrum, with hot, muggy summers and freezing cold winters. The solution to that dilemma may be a geothermal system, which draws upon the ambient power of the earth itself to warm and cool your home. There’s an initial up-front cost to such a system, but the long-term savings and overall efficiency often make the purchase worth it. Here’s a breakdown of how it all works: to show why geothermal systems may be just what your home needs.

Geothermal heating and cooling is an ingenious way to keep your house comfortable, and a fascinating alternative to traditional forced-air systems. It cost a fair amount up front and requires certain features on your property (a lot of square footage, for example, or the presence of a pond). But once installed, it provides numerous benefits that will make your life a great deal easier, as well as providing considerable savings in the long run. Those aren’t small concerns here in Dover, DE, where summers are hot and muggy and winters are very cold. So why should you use geothermal heating and cooling? We’ve provided a short list of the benefits.

Geothermal systems are built to last – after all, they do have an average lifespan of up to 50 years – but that doesn’t mean they won’t ever have repair issues. There can be some concern over geothermal repairs because parts of the system are so different from more traditional heating systems, but when you hire trained experts, like the ones from Atlantic Refrigeration, you can rest assured that your geothermal heating repairs in Dover, DE, are in good hands.

Types of Repairs

Here are some of the repairs that can develop with a geothermal system:

Issues with the Heat Pump

Geothermal systems use a heat pump to transfer the heat back and forth. The heat pumps will either be water-source or ground-source, depending on the type of geothermal system you’ve installed. One of the most common problems with heat pumps is compressor issues. The compressor pressurizes the anti-freeze in the system, so problems with the compressor can create heating issues. Other issues that can develop are problems with the coils and issues with the condenser.

Scaling

There are a number of minerals in water, and sometimes these minerals can form a build-up in piping called “scale”. The ground loop of geothermal systems, and even the heat pump, can develop scale, which, if significant enough, can restrict the flow of the anti-freeze in the system. An acid flush performed by a trained professional can remove the scale build-up easily.

Ground Loop Leak

The ground loop developing a leak is one of the top concerns about geothermal systems, but it doesn’t have to be. First, leaks rarely develop and second, technicians use a specific process to pinpoint the leak location before digging. The process involves injecting non-toxic dye into the ground loop and waiting for the dye to bubble to the ground’s surface; the location of the dye on the ground’s surface indicates where the leak has developed. Once the dye appears, digging can begin and the leak can be repaired.

Geothermal systems are the most energy efficient systems available and their long lifespan can mean years of comfortable, very environmentally-friendly heating and cooling.

If you have concerns about geothermal repair in Dover, DE, call the experts at Atlantic Refrigeration today!

Investing in a geothermal heating and cooling system is one of the best ways to save money every month. Geothermal systems rely on the steady temperature underneath the surface of the earth to reliably heat or cool your home. These systems often require few repairs, and may save homeowners hundreds on cooling and heating costs every year. In fact, the cost of installation may be offset very quickly through monthly savings and local incentives. But while cost is an important factor many homeowners take into consideration when choosing a new system, others are more worried about the installation process. Let’s take a look at how geothermal heating and cooling works, as well as how it is installed.

How It Works

Geothermal heating and cooling systems are also known as geothermal heat pumps. Many homeowners use air source heat pumps, which can also provide both heating and air conditioning. In the summer, air source heat pumps uses refrigerant to absorb heat from the air in your home and release it outdoors. In the summer, the process is reversed, as heat from the outdoor air is distributed into your home. A geothermal heat pump uses a similar process, except heat is absorbed from or released into the earth via a water and refrigerant solution. Because the temperature underground does not change, it’s a more reliable source of heating and cooling, particularly in areas with harsh winter climates.

How It Is Installed

Many homeowners are most concerned about the installation process. The two main components of a geothermal heating and cooling system are the heat pump and the loop field. The heat pump is the indoor component, while the loop field is a set of coiled tubes buried under the ground. The technician buries a set of coiled tubes in the earth, generally in one of two ways.

For many homes, vertical loop field installation is the norm because it requires less space. This requires drilling deep into the ground, so it may be a more costly process than the alternative, horizontal loop field installation. Horizontal loop fields require a lot of outdoor space for installation as long trenches are dug into your property. However, no drilling is required, which generally makes it less costly. In fact, geothermal installation offers some benefits; because these tubes are buried underground, they are not exposed to the elements, which may mean fewer repairs.

During the summer, the largest share of electrical power in your home goes straight to the air conditioning system to keep the rooms cool. Over only a single season, the costs to remain comfortable in your home using the AC can run quite high.

There are many ways to cut down on your air conditioning bills. One of the best long-term solutions is to install a geothermal cooling system as a replacement for your current AC. This will lower your bills, but also offer numerous other advantages that make this an appealing change—even with the large amount of work required for the installation.

However, you don’t need to worry about the intensive labor involved, because Atlantic Refrigeration can handle that when it comes to geothermal cooling in Dover, DE. Here are some of the reasons we think you should contact us to learn more about geothermal power for your home:

Geothermal cooling is also geothermal heating

The first important thing to understand about a geothermal system is that it is actually a heat pump, and that means it can provide heating as well as cooling. Like all heat pumps, a geothermal (or “ground-source”) heat pump moves heat from one location and deposits it in another. A geothermal heat pump can remove heat from indoors and place it in the ground, cooling your home, or it can move the heat from the ground and bring it indoors for warmth.

Efficient, reliable operation

The secret to the lower costs of geothermal cooling is that the heat pump uses the stable temperature of the earth 6–10 feet under the frost line for its heat exchange. No matter how hot it grows outside, the heat pump always has a cool place to deposit heat from inside you home. A geothermal system works even more efficiently during cold weather, when standard heat pumps (“air-source” heat pumps) will suffer drops in efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that geothermal heat pumps work 3–6 times more efficiently than air-source models.

Longevity

There are few home comfort systems that will last as long once installed as a geothermal heat pump. The ground loops can endure more than 50 years, with only minimal repairs and easy regular maintenance. This means you will have many years to enjoy the savings from the geothermal heat pump past the initial payback period.

There is one caution with geothermal systems, which is that they will not work in every location and climate. For the loops to effectively draw and deposit heat, they must have sufficient space and depth, and small properties may not offer enough.

It is easy to find out if your house and property are suited to geothermal installation. Rely on us for the installation work for whatever cooling system you decide on.

Call the Dover, DE geothermal cooling experts at Atlantic Refrigeration, and we will send a professional to your house to survey the possibilities.